Fort Myers mom awaits promise in son’s cold case killing

FORT MYERS, Fla. Angela McClary is relentless in finding justice – and hoping a promise made by an officer is fulfilled.

Her son, Deonte Redding, 33, and his half-brother, Zachary Blue, 22, were shot and killed outside a home on South Drive in June 2014.

Redding left behind a 12-year-old daughter.

McClary has been vocal about her son’s case in hopes that speaking out will help lead to an arrest.

“Each month I have contacted the detective on my son’s case,” she said. “You’re living really in a prison in your own town because there’s so many murderers out there that are wreaking havoc in our city.”

In Fort Myers, only 24 of the city’s 74 murders were solved within the past five years.

Out of 95 killings investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office within the past five years, only 26 remain unsolved.

WINK News is bringing attention to some of these cases in hope that renewed interest will result in new clues.

Redding and Blue were sitting in a vehicle in front of the home, which was familiar to both men.

“Someone called (Redding) several times from the house to come over,” she said. “Apparently that I was told that they gambled there at the house and Deonte won a lot of money that day and that I guess they wanted to set up to gamble again.”

Six people were inside the home when shots rang out, she said.

“From the evidence they said it was from somebody on the property that did it,” McClary said. “I believe that they all killed Deonte because they know something and they were there at the time.”

Those inside said they didn’t see the double killing.

For now, McClary holds on to a promise made to her by a Fort Myers police officer.

“He said to me, ‘I’m going to make sure that we find out who killed your son,’” she said.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 800-780-TIPS. Tips can be anonymously submitted.